Summer Travel: Ferran Adrià Brings His "Art Of Food" To London's Somerset House

Between Wimbledon and the impending royal birth, there's a lot of fervor in London right now. We've got our eye on something far more gustatory (or even much more rare than an annual tennis match): Somerset House's season-long exhibition, elBulli: Ferran Adrià and the Art of Food.

Starting this Friday, July 5, fans of the visionary chef and innovator behind Spain's legendary elBulli restaurant can get an in-depth look at the famed culinary mecca, from multimedia displays featuring plasticine models of various dishes (made for the purpose of maintaining the highest levels of quality control and achieving exactingly consistent presentation) and their specially designed utensils, to stunning food photography, handwritten notes and sketches, and even Adrià's first paycheck. The exhibition itself is divided into four courses, so to speak: Research, Preparation, Presentation and Plaudits, spanning elBulli's 50-year evolution.

The show runs through the end of September, and considering that food fanatics have flown themselves out to Spain for the experience of eating at elBulli in the past, checking out those cheap flights to London wouldn't be entirely absurd. Given that Adrià closed elBulli's doors in August 2011, this might be the closest most of us will ever get to the famed restaurant.

Gonna be in London on July 5th? Pick up tickets to see Chef Adrià kick off the exhibition with a rare Q&A, moderated by Jason Atherton, the first British chef to work at elBulli.[/caption]
Fantastic plastic: On display, plasticine pieces used for creating models of foods and plated dishes. Those were then used to ensure consistency and accurate plating.[/caption]
There's nothing to eat, but plenty to take in at the London exhibit, including scores of photographs showcasing elBulli's brilliant, madcap dishes. Here's one, curiously named "The Thaw."[/caption]